Police target pre-loaders in Herts hotspot

Pre-loaders are being targeted by police and facing a ban from a town centre as part of a bid to clean-up the area's image.

Police in Watford have handed out 40 temporary eight-hour banning orders since August to people who arrive in the town centre drunk before a night out.

It is more evidence the authorities are taking the issue of pre-loading seriously and are prepared to take action.

More than 15,000 people visit Watford town centre every weekend - and revellers are being targeted by police as soon as they get out of taxis, or arrive from local train stations.

Anyone being given a temporary banning order, then returning, will be liable for arrest, police said. And two people have been arrested since the scheme started.

Sgt Dan Stoddard, of the Watford Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "What we're noticing is an increase of people turning up drunk by the time they hit the town centre, which lays them wide open to being victims of crime and a small minority then commit crime themselves.

"It's a culture change for everybody. Pre-loading is the first target."

He added: "We hope the end result will be a town centre with different uses in different parts of the town, with things for families and we still have this Ibiza to attract young people."

Liam Fitzgerald's, Watford's anti-social behaviour co-ordinator, said the operation was part of the plan to tackle the notioon that Watford is not a safe place to be.

"It's a place where thousands of people have fun every week," he said. "We don't want people getting so drunk at home they're not in a fit state so they're going to be turned away."

Meanwhile, Watford Borough Council is also planning to ban new off-licences in the Whippendell Road area, another hot-spot in the town.